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    Home » Real Food » Pasta » Taco Pasta

    Taco Pasta

    By Kristen Chidsey | 18 Comments | Published May 13, 2022 | Updated June 18, 2022 *This post may include amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Tacos and pasta collide in this easy Taco Pasta recipe! Made in one skillet and in less than 30 minutes, Taco Pasta is a creamy, cheesy, family-favorite meal.

    Tacos and pasta collide in this easy Taco Pasta recipe! Made in one skillet and in less than 30 minutes, Taco Pasta is a creamy, cheesy, family-favorite meal.

    Bowl of Taco Pasta topped with diced tomatoes and diced avocado.

    If you love pasta and you love tacos, you will love this recipe for Taco Pasta. It is a spin on a taco-inspired version of Homemade Hamburger Helper, and it is everything you desire in a simple family meal.

    • Ready in less than 30 minutes.
    • Made in one pan.
    • Comes together with everyday, affordable, ingredients.
    • Picky-eater approved.

    Seriously, this Taco Pasta hits a home run! It is the perfect meal to make on a busy weeknight or when you can't decide if you want tacos or pasta.

    Ingredients Needed

    Ingredients for taco pasta labeled on coutner.

    Made with ground beef, salsa, noodles, taco seasoning, and cheese, this pasta dish has all the flavors of traditional tacos--just in pasta form!

    • Meat: I prefer using lean ground beef for this recipe, but ground chicken or turkey can be used in place of the beef.
    • Taco Seasoning: I use homemade taco seasoning to control the sodium and additives. However, feel free to use a packet of taco seasoning if desired.
    • Tomato Sauce: Used canned plain tomato sauce, not spaghetti sauce.
    • Salsa: Salsa is a great short-cut ingredient. It already has diced onions, peppers, and seasons, and helps to flavor up this pasta perfectly without the need to add several ingredients. Use your favorite jarred, not fresh, salsa for the best consistency. And be sure to pay attention to the spice level--you don't want to use hot salsa when feeding small children.
    • Pasta: You can use whole wheat or regular noodles. You want to choose a pasta that will cling to the meat and sauce, like elbow noodles, shell pasta, or rotini noodles. I prefer elbow noodles as they cook up quickly and I always have them on hand.
    • Sour Cream: The sour cream is optional, but makes this pasta super creamy.
    • Cheese: What is a good taco without the addition of cheese? Shredded cheese will melt into the pasta and makes this dish super cheesy and delicious. You can use cheddar, Monterrey Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend. Pro-Tip: Grate the cheese yourself, as it will melt more evenly than bagged shredded cheese.

    How to Make Taco Pasta

    • In a large stock pan or skillet, cook the meat over medium-high heat until browned fully, breaking it up into small bite-sized pieces as it cooks.
    • Once the meat is browned, drain off any fat, if needed, and return the pan to the heat.
    Ground Beef browned in skillet.
    • Add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, salsa, noodles, and water to the beef mixture, and stir to evenly combine.
    Side by side photo of ingredients being added to skillet before and after mixing.
    • Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer and cook until the pasta is just tender, stirring occasionally. You may need to add up to an additional cup of water as the pasta cooks if you find the noodles absorbing too much liquid before they are tender.
    Cooked Taco Pasta in skillet.
    • Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and add the sour cream and cheese and stir until thoroughly combined.
    • Let the taco pasta sit for a few minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted into the pasta.
    Side by side photo of adding cheese and sour cream to skillet for taco pasta.
    • Serve this cheesy taco pasta mac plain. Or top with diced tomatoes, onions, sour cream, and avocados--anything you like on your tacos!
    Bowl of Taco Mac and Cheese topped with diced tomatoes and avocado.

    Recipe Tips and Modifications

    • Use the right Pan. Be sure to use a large enough skillet that can brown the meat and fit the pasta and liquid. I find a nice deep dutch or large stock pan best for this pasta recipe.
    • Make it Vegetarian. Skip the meat and add 2 to 3 cups of black or pinto beans in place of the browned meat to keep this taco pasta recipe meatless.
    • Looking to cut your grocery bill? Use ½ pound of ground meat instead of a full pound. This dish will still be hearty, but you can cut back on the cost.
    • Use Leftovers. If you happen to have leftover taco meat, use it in place of the browned meat and omit the taco seasoning from this recipe. You will save time making this recipe AND reinvent your leftovers into something delicious.
    • Instant Pot Directions: If you have an Instant Pot, you can enjoy the same results, with less hands-on work using my recipe for Instant Pot Taco Pasta.
    • Additional Add-Ins. Feel free to add frozen corn to the pasta while cooking, or stir in a 16-ounce can of drained beans when adding the cheese and sour cream.

    More Tex Mex Favorites

    • Southwest Chicken Salad
    • Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
    • Vegetarian Fajitas
    • Southwest Turkey Soup

    Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.

    If you enjoyed this Taco Pasta, I would love for you to leave a comment and a review below.

    Bowl of Taco Pasta topped with tomatoes and avocado

    Taco Pasta

    Taco Pasta is an easy, cheesy, taco flavored pasta recipe made in one pot in less than 30 minutes.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Tex Mex
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 404kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • 8 ounces tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
    • 2 ½ cups water divided
    • 1 cup salsa
    • 2 cups elbow noodles
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • In a large non-stick skillet, or dutch oven, cook the meat over medium high heat until browned, breaking up into small pieces as the meat cooks. Drain off any excess grease.
    • Add in the tomato sauce, salsa, taco seasoning, elbow noodles, and 1.5 cups of water, stirring to combine.
    • Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the pasta is tender, adding up to 1 cup of water if needed. This will take about 15 minutes for the pasta to be tender.
    • Once the pasta is tender, turn off the heat and stir in the cheese and sour cream. Serve.

    Notes

    • Meat: I prefer lean 90/10 ground sirloin for this recipe, but you can use any fat percentage you like--just drain off grease well. You can also use ground chicken or turkey in place of beef.
    • If you want to keep this pasta vegetarian, use 2-3 cups of black beans. 
    • Taco Seasoning: 1 Tbsp chili powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, ⅛ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper.
    • The sour cream is optional but makes this pasta super creamy. 
    • Feel free to use more or less cheese as desired. 
    • Pasta: Whole wheat or regular elbow noodles. You can also use mini shell pasta or rotini pasta. 
    • Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. This pasta can be frozen for up to 1 month. 
    Instant Pot Directions: Turn Instant Pot to saute and allow to heat up. Once the instant pot has heated, add in the meat and brown up, breaking up into small pieces. Once the meat is cooked, turn off the pressure cooker. And drain off any fat if desired.
    Add in 4 cups water or chicken/beef broth to Instant Pot and scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot. Turn the Instant Pot off.  Add in taco seasoning and stir to combine. Add 16 ounces elbow noodles and gently push down into the liquid to submerge. Top with salsa and tomato sauce. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes (hit manual and adjust time by using +/_ buttons until the timer reads 3).  Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release of any remaining pressure--be sure stand away from vent knob when releasing pressure.
    Stir in cheese and sour cream. Let sit for 5 minutes to warm through and serve. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 760mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 947IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 330mg | Iron: 3mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
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    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Allyssa

      June 05, 2022 at 5:49 am

      5 stars
      This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        June 05, 2022 at 6:36 am

        I love hearing that Allyssa! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.

        Reply
    2. Jen

      June 04, 2022 at 1:54 am

      5 stars
      The whole fam loves this recipe! We can’t get enough!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        June 04, 2022 at 6:43 am

        That is the best kind of recipe!

        Reply
    3. Laura Reese

      June 02, 2022 at 1:54 am

      5 stars
      I loved making this! Such a great twist on tacos! My family loved it!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        June 02, 2022 at 7:41 am

        Thanks for sharing Laura! I love hearing you enjoyed this!

        Reply
    4. Sarah

      February 21, 2021 at 5:19 pm

      Hi! I’m going to make this for dinner tomorrow using leftover taco meat. Could I just cook/drain the pasta separately like usual, and then mix all the ingredients together for the final dish? Or does cooking the pasta with the meat and other ingredients part of what makes it work? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        February 21, 2021 at 6:58 pm

        Cooking the pasta with the flavorings adds a lot of flavor. However, you can simply stir in in leftover meat right before stirring. Enjoy

        Reply
    5. Veronica

      November 24, 2020 at 5:45 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this! Made it tonight to use up leftover taco meat and threw in a bell pepper just to squeeze in a fresh vegetable. Definitely planning on making it again- maybe even with sloppy joe!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        November 24, 2020 at 6:47 pm

        Oh I bet it will be delicious with leftover sloppy joes as well. Great idea! So glad you enjoyed this meal Veronica!

        Reply
        • Irene

          May 10, 2022 at 11:31 am

          Hi
          I'm making this recipe right now. It was a great idea and different from making my usual taco soup.
          My daughter came out to the kitchen and said, what smells so good. It's taco pasta!
          So easy and it tastes so good. I've tried the sauce and noodle, so good. 😊

          Reply
          • Kristen Chidsey

            May 10, 2022 at 12:54 pm

            I hope you all enjoy Irene!

            Reply
    6. Ayesha

      May 08, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      Hi,
      Can I substitute yogurt for sour cream?

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        May 08, 2020 at 6:59 pm

        Yes, plain yogurt will work great!

        Reply
    7. Nellie Tracy

      February 17, 2020 at 4:45 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great weeknight dinner recipe! Love this!!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        February 18, 2020 at 7:31 am

        YAY! So glad your family enjoyed Nellie.

        Reply
    8. Sohie HEath

      February 17, 2020 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! My family loved it and keep asking for more!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        February 17, 2020 at 3:15 pm

        That makes me so happy to hear Sohie! Thank you for sharing.

        Reply

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